Display sign fixture



Jan. 8, 1963 R. H. TAUB 3,071,880

DISPLAY SIGN FIXTURE Filed Aug. 7, 1961 INV EN TOR.

' Rona/d H. mm

' ATTORNEY I United States Patent- 3,071,880 DISPLAY SIGN FIXTURE RonaldH. Taub, Highland Park, Ill., assignor tov Creative Displays Inc.,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 'Filed Aug. 7, 1961, Ser. No.129,830 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-11) This invention relates to fixtures, orbrackets, for merchandising signs, and more particularly concernsdisplay sign fixtures of the type which are adapted to be attached tothe 'O-shaped retainer strips commonly used on the edges of storeshelves. 7

It is nowadays common to employ flat Ct-shaped retainer strips on theedges of store shelves and counters, and to place removable tags inthese to designate the price of nearby merchandise. Occasionally,however, it is desired to draw the customers attention to certain of themerchandise. In this evcnt, fixtures or brackets have been availablewhich can be attached to the retainer strip and which havean outwardextending arm to support an advertising sign or price tag. I g rGenerally speaking, these fixtures or brackets have suffered one of twodisadvantages. The very simple fixtures are often difficult to removefrom the retaining strip without risking damage to the fixture or to thestrip, while many of those fixtures which can easily be attached andremoved are unduly complex and expensive.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a fixture formerchandising signs which may easily be attached to and removed fromretainer strips, and which is simple, rugged, and low in cost. Anotherobject is to provide a bracket which can be attached to retainer stripsof varying size. A further object is to provide an improved andeasily-made display sign fixture. Other and more particular objects willbecome apparent as the description of this invention proceeds.

Briefly, there is provided a sign fixture made of a single length ofresilient wire formed into an arm-like portion for carrying a displaysign, and a portion for engaging the channels on a retainer strip. Thislatter portion has three legs, which, prior to insertion into thechannels, have a generally U-shape, but which are deformed upon suchinsertion into a more or less triangular form, with one leg and thejunction of the other two legs being resiliently received and held inthe respective channels. The leg originally opposite the leg in one ofthe channels remains free, and can be gripped readily when it is desiredto remove the fixture in order to further deform the U-shaped portionand thus disengage the legs.

Accommodation of the fixture to retainer strips of differing sizes isprovided by any one or more of three features. the control leg of theU-shaped portion is made longer than the greatest expected size of theretainer strip. Second, the three legs may be non-coplanar, that is theydo not lie in the same plane so that one leg is resiliently urgedagainst the back of the retainer strip. Third, it the arm-like signcarrying portion of the fixture is provided with an offset section toclear the channels, then the offset section may also be madenon-coplanar with any two of the legs. By the second and third features,the fixture will also be held firmly in virtually all retainer stripchannels irrespective of channel size.

Furthe details and advantages of the invention will be described in thefollowing specification which is to be read in conjunction with theattached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the installed display sign fixture;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the fixture;

FIGURE 3 shows, with solid lines, a front view of the channel-engagingportion of the fixture as one leg is inserted into its channel, andshows in dotted lines the same portion as it is being deformed duringinstallation;

3,071,880 Patented Jane, 19 3 FIGURE 4 follows FIGURE 3 and shows thechannelengaging portion after the portion has been inserted into bothchannels or the retainer strip; and

FIGURE 5 shows a side sectional view of an oversize channel with thefixture held rigidly in place.

Turning first to FIGURE 1, the complete display sign fixture is shown asit appears after being attached to retainer strip 10, which in turn isaffixed to the visible edge of a merchandise display shelf 11. Retainerstrip 10 has a pair of opposed channels 12 and 13 which face toward eachother; these channels are defined by flanges 14 and 15 and are spacedapart at a distance usually equal to the thickness of shelf 11.

The fixture itself is formed of a single length of a resilient metalwire, such as for example a spring steel, and has an outwardly-extendingarm 16 and channel-engaging leg portions defined by legs 17, 18, and 19.These legs are received in and cooperate with the opposed channels 12and 13 'of retainer strip 10 and serve to firmly and resiliently attachthe fixture to the strip.

Display sign 21 is carried by arm 16 and contains any desiredadvertising or pricing matter. Sign 21 preferably consists of two sheets(which may be attached at opposite edges as shown) joined by a rivet 22,which may be partially encircled by an engaging means such as hookedsection 23 of the arm 16.

A side View of the inventive fixture, prior to installation intoretainer strip 10, is shown in FIGURE 2, and attention is directed tothat figure. It is seen that arm 16 comprises an offset section 24, thelatter being for the purpose of providing clearance for the flanges ofthe retainer strip (flange 15 in FIGURE 1). In the embodiment shown, arm16 extends upward, but the angle it makes with ofiset section 24 can bemade acute so as to angle arm 16 downward.

By having the three legs 17, 18 and 19 in other than one single plane,and optionally having offset section 24 also non-coplanar with respectto any two of the three legs, the fixture tends to contact the sideflanges as well as the opposite inner faces of the channels of theretainer strip, and hence resiliently grip strips of various sizes.

Turning to FIGURE 3, the step of attaching the fixture is shown. Thefixture is shown just as leg 17 has been inserted behind flange 15 ofchannel 13; the three legs 17, 18, and '19 are here shown in full linesin their relaxed, generally-U-shaped positions. It will be noted thatthe lengths of the legs, and the angles between each of the legs orbetween leg 17 and offset section 24- can be arranged as desired,provided only that central leg 18 is longer than the spacing betweenchannels 12 and 13. Advantageously, however, the respective angles areabout (i.e. 90 plus or minus 30).

If the free or terminal leg 19 is pressed toward the opposite leg 17,the angles between each of the respective legs decrease, and thevertical distance between junction 26 (of legs 18 and 19) and the leg 17adjacent section 24 similarly decreases. In this position, shown dottedin FIGURE 3, junction 26 may be inserted into channel 12.

The final position of the in-place fixture is shown in FIGURE 4.Junction 26 is resiliently held in place in channel 12 while leg '17 issimilarly in rigid spring-like engagement in channel 13, forming agenerally triangular configuration of three legs.

A particular advantage of the inventive fixture is that it is easilyremoved after it has been installed. With reference to FIGURE 4, theavailable free leg 19 need merely be gripped and/or pressed toward leg17 so as to return the legs to the position shown by dotted lines inFIGURE 3 and-the fixture can be lifted out in a manner opposite to thatin which it was installed.

Another major, though optional, feature of the invention is depicted inFIGURE 5, which is a side sectional view of the installed fixture.Channels 12 and 13 have purposely been shown oversize to illustrate theability of the non-coplanar legs to securely and immovably engage suchchannels. Thus, free leg 19 and the far end (from the position of theobserver) of leg 17 press against the rear face of retainer strip 10,while junction 26 and the near end of leg 17 bear against the innerfaces of flanges 14 and 15 respectively. Further support may be providedby offset section 24 which similarly bears against the rear face ofretainer strip 10.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that the objects of theinvention have been satisfied, and that a sign fixture has been providedwhich is simply made and which can readily be attached to and removedfrom retainer strips of varying size.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with oneparticular embodiment thereof, it is manifest that various alternatives,modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intendedto embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fallwithin the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sign fixture for attachment to a retainer strip having a pair ofopposed spaced channels, said fixture comprising a single length ofresilient wire formed into a display-sign-carrying portion and achannel-engaging portion, said channel-engaging portion having threelegs arranged in a generally U-shape, with the leg adjacent saiddisplay-sign-carrying portion being receivable in one of said spacedchannels and the juncture of the other two legs being resilientlyreceivable in the other of said channels, said three legs beingnon-coplanar, with the terminal leg being directed away from the planeof the other two legs.

2. Fixture of claim 1 wherein said display-sign-carrying portion has anoffset section near the leg adjacent said portion to provide clearancefor said retainer strip.

3. Fixture of claim 2 wherein said ofiFset section is noncoplanar withany two of said legs and is thereby urged toward said retainer stripwhen said fixture is inserted into said spaced channels References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SIGN FIXTURE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A RETAINER STRIP HAVING A PAIR OFOPPOSED SPACED CHANNELS, SAID FIXTURE COMPRISING A SINGLE LENGTH OFRESILIENT WIRE FORMED INTO A DISPLAY-SIGN-CARRYING PORTION AND ACHANNEL-ENGAGING PORTION, SAID CHANNEL-ENGAGING PORTION HAVING THREELEGS ARRANGED IN A GENERALLY U-SHAPE, WITH THE LEG ADJACENT SAIDDISPLAY-SIGN-CARRYING PORTION BEING RECEIVABLE IN ONE OF SAID SPACEDCHANNELS AND THE JUNCTURE OF THE OTHER TWO LEGS BEING RESILIENTLYRECEIVABLE IN THE OTHER OF SAID CHANNELS, SAID THREE LEGS BEINGNON-COPLANAR, WITH THE TERMINAL LEG BEING DIRECTED AWAY FROM THE PLANEOF THE OTHER TWO LEGS.